A recent study confirms that road accidents could be the fifth leading cause of death by 2030. Motorcycle accidents are becoming increasingly common and dangerous. They can cause undesirable injuries and pile up medical bills. Suppose you’ve been in a motorcycle accident recently. In that case, it can be nerve-wracking to know what to expect. An excellent idea would be to hire a motorcycle attorney rather than paying out-of-pocket.
Motorcycle attorneys represent you, fight for your rights, and ensure you get sufficient compensation. Lawyers are better able to collect evidence, file the correct paperwork, and go through the legal process quicker. Moreover, they guide you, help in understanding the outcome, and reduce critical mistakes.
However, finding a lawyer who meets your requirements can be challenging. Here are a few questions you must ask each attorney before selecting one.
Who will represent you and your case?
In your initial consultation, a crucial point is which lawyer will represent you in court. Please note that the attorney you speak to during your first meeting may not be advocating for you for the entire case.
Cases usually take a while to resolve and close. Hence, you must be comfortable with the lawyer looking after the day-to-day aspects of your case. Since the lawyer will also be the person you will be in constant with, they must be reliable. You must feel like you are in safe hands and with the best talents.
If genuine, you’ll find several attorneys willing to take up your accident case. For instance, if you live in Denver, Colorado, and are a biker who got into an accident and needs a lawyer, you can easily find a good one, as the city is famous for its motorcycle accident lawyers. Many attorneys solely represent car drivers and for bikers: contact this motorcycle accident lawyer in Denver, CO for remarkable services.
Similarly, you can do the same if you live in another city or state; get your local lawyer on board and fight for your rights. Remember, learning more about who you will be working with is a good idea since it will help you determine whether you want to retain the law firm or not.
How experienced is the lawyer with motorcycle accidents?
Lawyers’ past cases, wins, and failures speak volumes about their work. Learning about your potential lawyer’s experience is crucial to ensure they possess the know-how you require. Remember, more than 100,000 personal injury lawyers are practicing in the US alone. Each lawyer can’t have experience dealing with a similar accident.
Several sub-categories fall under personal injury laws. These include car crashes, slips, falls, and product liability cases. If you have experienced any of these, you must choose a lawyer with a broad focus. However, hiring a motorcycle accident would be better since they possess the right specialty to deal with your case.
Lawyers with specific specialties will possess more knowledge and skills from their previous experiences. Moreover, they will be able to negotiate better, reference a similar case, and help build your argument.
How qualified is the lawyer?
Knowledge and qualification are highly essential components in lawyers. You must ensure your lawyer has sufficient knowledge about motorcycle accidents and the law and regulations involved in such cases. In addition, the most crucial thing to investigate in lawyers is whether they can smoothly deal with insurance companies and enforcement agencies.
Unfortunately, sometimes to get the case, lawyers lie about their expertise; therefore, be vigilant in this regard and research properly; otherwise, it will lead to chaos and waste your hard-earned money. Get referrals or reach out to old clients to understand their work ethics and reliability.
Does your lawyer have courtroom experience?
Courtroom experience is a must for attorneys. You must understand that years of experience practicing law without courtroom experience is insufficient. Although, a lawyer must try their best not to drag your case to court and settle before. Still, if circumstances change and you have to go to trial, hiring a lawyer with prior courtroom experience would be ideal.
Hence, don’t select a lawyer apprehensive about going to court. The best way is to book consultations with a few lawyers before picking one. Make sure to clear all confusion during your consultation sessions, pay close attention to their communication style, and decide whether they speak with confidence or not.
What is your lawyer’s success rate?
It is pivotal to hunt for a motorcycle accident lawyer with a high success rate. A high success rate indicates a lawyer’s chance of winning the case and scoring sufficient compensation for the affected.Inquire about how many cases they have won and how recent the cases were. Moreover, determine whether any were similar to your motorcycle incident.
Inquiring about a lawyer’s success rate help retain peace of mind and reassurance of them winning the case.
What is your lawyer’s fee structure?
A highly pivotal question to ask all lawyers is their fee structure. Some lawyers tend to exploit clients by charging excessively for small, short cases. Hence, you must stay vigilant and use your negotiation skills when discussing the attorney’s fee.
Understanding the fee structure prevents any misunderstanding that might arise between you and your lawyer in the future. You know what you are signing up for and can decide whether you can pay that much or not.
It is always better to settle the things at the beginning to smoothly go through the whole process.
Wrapping up
Motorcycle accidents can cause highly damaging and fatal injuries. Some injuries can permanently disable a body part and cause significant health effects. There is not much you can do post a motorcycle accident except seek sufficient compensation. Hence, you must hire an efficient, robust lawyer who can represent you and win your case or get you an early settlement out of court.
Make sure to ask your lawyer all the questions mentioned above to determine whether they can support you with skilled legal representation or are mere talk.
